6
Ways
To
Minimize
Business
Risks.

How
To
Build
a
B2B
Business
On
Shopify.

How To Build a B2B Business On Shopify ...

Setting up an online B2B business is now easier than ever thanks to platforms that offer robust eCommerce features at a fraction of the cost of a custom-built website.

Shopify, in particular, is used by B2B merchants all over the world. Itswholesale eCommerce solutionand the extensive collection of apps allow users to customize their B2B sites with functionalities that help optimize customer experience and boost conversion.

Here are some of Shopify's features that'll help you attract more customers, improve retention, and increase sales:

1. Volume Pricing

B2B buyers expect bulk pricing when they purchase a large quantity. Offering a volume discount helps you attract customers and encourage them to increase their average order value.

To set up volume pricing, you can go to Admin >> Properties, create a custom option (e.g., "quantity") and add variants. Although this method gets the job done, the information isn't dynamic. The setup can get complicated if you have many products and pricing tiers.

You can also install an app to help handlequantity discount and tiered pricing. It allows you to make bulk changes and set up discount as a percentage or fixed amount for multiple items without duplicating products.

2. Wholesale Account

Shopify's B2B solution allows you to set up a password-protected storefront for selected customers who have negotiated deals so you can enable dynamic, tiered, and custom pricing to optimize order volume.

To utilize this feature, add a tag when you create a customer account. Later on, when you set up a price list, include the tag information so the right pricing will be shown to the right group of customers when they log into the password-protected storefront.

This feature enables you to effectively executeaccount-based marketing (ABM)and offer customers a personalized experience that will increase ROI and improve retention.

You can also offer customized catalogs that show the most relevant products and recommendations to individual buyers to streamline their shopping experience and help them find products they're most likely to purchase.

3. Payment Options

Did you know that only 5% of B2B purchases are made with credit/debit cards?

56% of B2B buyersprefer different payment options, such as purchase order, extended credit, and payment plans to help them better manage cash flow and reduce financing cost.

Offering a variety of payment methods to your customers through a streamlined interface makes it much easier to do business with you. It'll help increase conversion rate, reduce cart abandonment, improve customer retention, and boost customer lifetime value.

The Shopify platform is set up to accept differentpayment methods, including PayPal, Amazon Pay, Apple Pay, money order, bank deposit, and BitCoin.

You can also install apps to offer even more options:

Extending a line of credit: Apruveallows your customers to set up a business account with its automated B2B credit management feature. When a customer places an order using payment terms, you'll get the money through a credit network right away, and the customer will have 30-60 days to pay.

Payment plans: you can offer customized and flexible payment plans with multiple payment options to customers using apps such asPartial.ly Payment Plans.

Recurring payment or subscription: allowing customers to set up recurring order not only makes it more convenient for them but also helps you improve customer retention and cash flow. You can use thisRecurring Payment, Subscription & Invoicing appto offer a variety of options.

4. Localized eCommerce Websites

Even though the growth of B2B eCommerce is projected to plateau in the US, its momentum will pick up in many other countries, such as China. If you aren't selling internationally already, it's time to explore the opportunity.

To best serve an international clientele, you need to createlocalized versionsof your eCommerce websites that speak to buyers in different countries.

Shopify allows you toset up unlimited storefrontsso you can sell across the globe by tailoring the user experience for different languages, currencies, and seasonal trends.

You can add payment options preferred by local buyers and take advantage of the built-in tax calculations for 70,000 jurisdictions.

If you need more robust localization for your eCommerce sites, such as a built-in real-time currency converter, the ability to change the look and feel of translated versions, and site search for translated content, you can use an app such asLocalizerto set up your sites.

5. Customer Support

Simply having the best price or the largest product selection may not be enough to stand out and beat your competition.

B2B buyers look for a seamless purchasing experience during which their questions are answered and needs are met in a timely manner.

Customer support is an essential component in delivering an outstanding customer experience, both pre- and post-sale. Invest heavily in your customer service to attract more buyers, improve customer loyalty, and increase customer lifetime value.

There are many Shopify apps for adding customer support features to your site, including:

Live chat: connect with customers in real-time using apps such asTidioandTawk.toso they can get their questions answered without leaving the product page or checkout flow. This can help reduce cart abandonment and increase conversion rate.

FAQ page: apps such asHelpCenterallow you to set up searchable FAQ pages so customers can self-service and submit questions when they can't find the answer.

Messaging apps: use an app likeWhatsHelp Chat Buttonto connect with customers via messaging apps such as Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Viber, Snapchat, Line, WeChat, and Telegram. You can continue the conversation even after they leave your website.

Customer service:Zendeskintegrates with Shopify, allowing customers to submit support tickets and get in touch with your support team quickly through the Web Widget.

Contact form: don't forget the oldie but goodie -- some customers still prefer to get in touch via a website contact form. Make sure yours is mobile-responsive and allows you to customize form fields so you can gather the right information to assist your customers.Easy Contact Formis one of the Shopify apps that help you do just that.

6. Shipping and Return

Handling shipping can be a major headache for many B2B sellers, especially if you're using multiple carriers.

You can also improve customer experience by making return easy with apps such asAfterShip Return Center. A painless return process encourages customers to try new items -- which means more sales and higher average order value for you!

7. Product Page Optimization

If you carry a large number of items, your product pages offer a lot of on-page SEO opportunities to help your site rank higher in search engine results.

You can use a variety of apps to optimize your product pages and make them more engaging:

SEO: 89% of B2B buyers use the Internet to do research, and they perform an average of12 searchesbefore engaging with a brand. Use apps such asSEO Managerto tame the SEO beast and make sure your product pages are optimized to show up in search engine results.

Product reviews: having 10 or more reviews can lead to15-20% increase in search traffic. Not to mention, more and more customers make their purchasing decisions based on product reviews. Use apps such asProduct Reviewsto add a (yep, you guessed it!) product review feature to your Shopify store to drive traffic, increase engagement, and boost conversion.

Product page Q&A: adding a Q&A section on your product pages using apps such asProduct Questions and Answerscan help increase engagement and address customer's questions without them leaving the page.